BURNABY, B.C. – Simon Fraser track and field athletes recorded 20 personal-best results at the SFU High Performance No. 1 meet Saturday in Burnaby, B.C. It the was the first outdoor competition of the 2023 NCAA track and field season for the Red Leafs.

They included four each in the women's and men's 100 meters.

Rookie Emma Cannan (Kelowna, B.C.) won the women's race in 12.17 seconds, followed by teammate and fellow freshman Jaeland Cummings (Vancouver), who clocked a time of 12.44. Cannan also won the 200 m in 25.31.

Sophomore Jesaiah Penson-McCoy ran a time of 10.75 to triumph in the men's 100 m, while senior Kaito Suzuki (Tokyo, Japan) was second after running under 11 seconds (10.98) for the first time in his NCAA career. Penson-McCoy took the 200 m race in 21.78.

"Some of the highlights today included Jesaiah in the 100 and 200," said SFU head coach Brit Townsend. "Those are great openers, a PB in the 100 meters for him, so very good at this time of the year. Kaito also ran really well, a personal best in the 100 and close to it in the 200 so on the sprint side for the men, those are definitely two standouts.

"On the women's side, Emma Cannan and Jaeland Cummings had great openers. When we get further into competition this season, I think both of them are going to improve a lot. We had a lot of career bests in the 1,500, women and men, as well, so I think both sides are in the right spot in this period of time."

Freshman Andrew Thomson (Abbotsford, B.C.) led the SFU pack in the men's 1,500 meters, getting to the finish line in a personal best three minutes 53 seconds. He is currently 12th in the NCAA Division II men's 1,500 m rankings. Five other Red Leafs ran their best-ever times in the men's 1,500 Saturday inside the SFU Stadium at Terry Fox Field. Junior Ephrem Mekonnen (Burnaby, B.C.) placed second (3:55.15).

Rookie athletes Selin Tasdemir (Richmond, B.C.) and Rachael Watkins (West Vancouver) went 1-2 in the women's 1,500 with top career times of 4:44.53 and 4:46.38, respectively.
 

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Freshman Veronica Robertson (Langley, B.C.) won the women's 400 meters in 1:02.09, while sophomore Natasha Smigelski (Coquitlam, B.C.) crossed the finish line second in 1:04.24. Both were collegiate-best performances.

Sophomore Maddy Paugh (Nanaimo, B.C.) won her university javelin debut with a top throw of 35.27 meters.

Additional event winners for SFU:
Men's 400 Meters – senior Jorrin Lenton (Maple Ridge, B.C.) – 51.13 seconds
Men's Long Jump – sophomore Mitchell Gibbs (Surrey, B.C.) – 6.21 meters
Women's 3,000 Meters – senior Olivia Willett (Coquitlam, B.C.) – 10:33.59
Women's Long Jump – junior Sydney Kania (Sydney, Australia) – 5.09m
Women's Hammer – sophomore Zuzanna Liniewski (Burnaby, B.C.) – 47.89m

The next event for the Red Leafs is the University of B.C. Open Saturday and Sunday at the Rashpal Dhillon Track & Field Oval in Vancouver.

SFU RESULTS
Women's 100 Meters        
1. Emma Cannan – 12.17 seconds (personal best)
2. Jaeland Cummings – 12.44 (personal best)
3. Diana Voloshin – 12.62
4. Cailey Jacobs – 13.41 (personal best)
6. Sydney Kania – 13.77 (personal best)

Women's 200 Meters        
1. Emma Cannan – 25.31
2. Claire Bosma – 25.70
3. Jaeland Cummings – 25.97
4. Erika Binder – 26.22
5. Diana Voloshin – 26.53
6. Jordan Jacobs – 26.81
8. Veronica Robertson – 27.01

Women's 400 Meters        
1. Veronica Robertson – 1:02.09 (personal best)
2. Natasha Smigelski – 1:04.24 (personal best)

Women's 1,500 Meters        
1. Selin Tasdemir – 4:44.53 (personal best)
2. Rachael Watkins – 4:46.38 (personal best)
3. Kate Cameron – 4:47.49
4. Emily Chilton – 4:48.40
5. Sarah Prangley – 4:51.21
6. Alicia Ranahan – 4:54.95

Women's 3,000 Meters        
1. Olivia Willett – 10:33.59
2. Milena Kalisch – 10:46.01
3. Ella Marion – 10:51.31

Women's High Jump
2. Olivia Windbiel – 1.53m
        
Women's Long Jump        
1. Sydney Kania – 5.09m
2. Kyra Stewart – 5.04m
3. Dominique Ronse – 4.96m
5. Cailey Jacobs – 4.94m
6. Larissa Cote – 4.62m

Women's Hammer
1. Zuzanna Liniewski – 47.89m
2. Kaitlyn Hanger – 44.78m

Women's Javelin
1. Maddy Paugh – 35.27m (personal best)

Men's 100 Meters
1. Jesaiah Penson-McCoy – 10.75 (personal best)
2. Kaito Suzuki – 10.98 (personal best)
4. Jeremy Belcher – 11.21
7. Mitchell Gibbs – 11.64 (personal best)
8. Blake Furtado – 11.64 (personal best)

Men's 200 Meters
1. Jesaiah Penson-McCoy – 21.78
3. Kaito Suzuki – 22.18 (personal best)

Men's 400 Meters        
1. Jorrin Lenton – 51.13

Men's 1,500 Meters        
1. Andrew Thomson – 3:53.00 (personal best)
2. Ephrem Mekonnen – 3:55.15
3. Tomas Chapman – 3:58.66 (personal best)
5. Jose Castro – 4:00.84
6. Ryan Jensen – 4:03.75 (personal best)
7. Braden Ahl – 4:04.24 (personal best)
8. Micah Logie – 4:05.32 (personal best)
9. Brendan Moore – 4:06.93 (personal best)

Men's Long Jump        
1. Mitchell Gibbs – 6.21m
2. Blake Furtado – 6.21m
3. Caysen McDiarmid – 5.64m

Men Javelin        
2. Bryan Cortes – 52.95m

For the latest information on SFU Athletics, visit athletics.sfu.ca. You can also find us on social media at @SFU_Athletics.
 
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